# US lawyer cites fabricated witnesses in murder appeal and blames ChatGPT

https://mins.news/en/item/55164

- Al Jazeera, 2026-09-11 20:42 UTC
- Tech
- Original: https://www.aljazeera.com/economy/2026/9/11/us-lawyer-cites-fake-witnesses-in-murder-case-blames-chatgpt?traffic_source=rss

> New Mexico’s Supreme Court fined defense lawyer Stephen Aarons $5,000 and held him in contempt after his murder-appeal brief included fabricated police testimony and witnesses generated by ChatGPT. The court said he failed to verify the filing and will refer him to a disciplinary board. Aarons called the use of AI an honest mistake.

## Related coverage

- [Lawyer fined $5,000 over AI-fabricated witnesses in murder appeal](https://mins.news/en/item/55159) — The Verge, 2026-09-11
- [ChatGPT-using lawyer punished for citing fake testimony from invented witnesses](https://mins.news/en/item/55208) — Ars Technica, 2026-09-11